“A bill to prohibit a road construction project in the White River National Forest in the State of Colorado, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section states congressional findings that Forest Service staffing decreased by 6,000 between January 20, 2025, and December 31, 2025, resulting in 40% fewer hazardous fuels reduction projects and 22% fewer trails maintenance projects nationwide, as well as significant reductions in science and research informing management of timber, fire, recreation, wildlife, water, and natural resources on the agency's 193 million acres. The section further finds that limited staffing requires the Forest Service to prioritize projects addressing (1) wildfire risk reduction; (2) forest treatments reducing insect and disease infestation; (3) recreation opportunities, including trail maintenance and permitting; (4) drinking water resources; (5) healthy wildlife populations and habitat; and (6) scientifically sound stewardship of forests and grasslands.
This section prohibits the Secretary of Agriculture from approving or issuing any easement, special use authorization, or other approval for a utility corridor or year-round road on specified sections of federal land in the White River National Forest in Colorado, as described in the March 2023 record of decision for the Berlaimont Estates Access Road or any substantially similar project. It limits access to inholdings on that federal land to existing (as of the record of decision date), unpaved, seasonal routes authorized only under special use permits that protect the National Forest System; bars the use of federal funds for any such roads or corridors to access the 680-acre Berlaimont Estates parcel; and preserves use of existing Forest Service roads in accordance with applicable law. The section further directs the Secretary, to the maximum extent practicable, to acquire that parcel from willing sellers via purchase, exchange, or donation—coordinating with the State of Colorado, Eagle County, and local land trusts—and to submit a report on those efforts to specified congressional committees within 180 days of enactment. (If acquired, the parcel is to be incorporated into the White River National Forest and administered for wildlife conservation and public enjoyment.)